The present invention relates to mounting toilet seats and/or covers to the top of toilet bowls. More particularly, it relates to assemblies that permit most of the assembly parts to be readily removed from the toilet to facilitate cleaning behind the bowl basin.
Typically, toilet seats and covers are sold pre-assembled with hinge posts. This subassembly is then affixed via hinge posts to a rearward extension of the toilet base behind the bowl. In such constructions the posts are typically bolted to the rearward extension using a bolt-like fastener that extends down through the extension. A nut threads onto the fastener from underneath the extension to clamp the assembly to the extension. These assemblies are intended to be essentially permanently affixed to the toilet base extension, particularly given that assembly and removal requires the application of tooling at the underside of the extension.
The area around such hinge posts (behind and under the cover and seat) can be difficult to clean thoroughly. Urine and other splashed contaminants can collect around the hinge posts, with the subsequent development of an undesirable appearance or smell, or unsanitary conditions.
There have been a number of attempts to develop toilet seat hinge assemblies where the seat and cover and associated pivot pins can be removed from the toilet relatively easily, and then (after cleaning) be relatively easily reconnected. See e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,159,548; 4,326,307; 4,939,796; 5,537,725; 5,933,875; 6,070,295; 6,381,762; 6,421,842, 6,807,686; and U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 2005/0217008 and 2005/0217009. See also U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,178,597 and 6,275,999 for other hinge structures for controlling cover movement.
At least some of these systems facilitate cleaning behind the bowl by leaving only small posts essentially permanently affixed to the toilet base, while providing readily releasable subassemblies that can removably link up with these posts. However, these prior art systems have a variety of deficiencies.
Some rely on a relatively weak connection between the subassembly and base posts such that the subassembly can accidentally be knocked off the posts. Others rely on relatively weak parts which may have a high incidence of breakage over prolonged use. Still others require relatively complex multi-part assemblies, which increase the cost of production and may require some consumer training. Still other assemblies require tools for the disassembly for cleaning purposes. Yet others require a consumer to touch portions of the assembly that may be contaminated.
A need still exists for further improved toilet seat mounting assemblies, particularly those which use fewer parts and which more stably retain the toilet seat in place.